The BIO4EEB project is driven by the urgent need to enhance energy efficiency in buildings, aligning with EU climate goals. Buildings account for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions in the EU, yet renovation rates have been insufficient to meet policy objectives like the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the Energy Efficiency Directive. The European Green Deal and Renovation Wave emphasize deep renovations, benefiting both energy savings and SMEs in construction.
A key industry challenge is the reduction of embodied energy in materials and emissions from traditional construction. The BIO4EEB project addresses this by developing bio-based insulation materials that meet industry standards. The project aims to:
• Improve building performance at material, component, and whole-building levels.
• Reduce energy demand, heating/cooling needs, and carbon footprint.
• Support EU sustainability directives (e.g. ESG).
• Expand the market share of bio-based insulation in residential buildings.
• Leverage an extended value chain to promote bio-based materials.
• Ensure a 7-year payback period for its solutions.
• Demonstrate lightweight, prefab bio-based solutions for renovations across diverse European regions.
By prioritizing circularity and sustainability, BIO4EEB contributes to long-term emissions reductions and improved energy efficiency in the construction sector.
The integration of social sciences and humanities is essential to ensure the successful adoption of bio-based insulation materials and energy-efficient renovations. BIO4EEB entails human behaviour, market acceptance, policy impacts, and socio-economic factors in early work packages (WP2) which is crucial for effective implementation. SSH helps address residents' concerns, regulatory barriers, and cultural differences in building practices, ensuring that innovations are not only technically feasible but also socially accepted, economically viable, and policy compliant.
